More than 2.5 million vaccine doses ordered to combat monkeypox outbreak
HOUSTON - As the monkeypox outbreak continues across the U.S., the government ordered 2.5 million vaccine doses to curb the spread.
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According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the order follows an order of 2.5 million doses that will start arriving in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) by 2023.
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This, in turn, will bring the federal government's vaccine supply to nearly 7 million doses by mid-next year.
"We continue to do everything we can to ramp up supply of vaccines and distribute them to those in need as quickly and equitably as possible," HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said in a press release. "Our strategy is to secure additional doses for the near-term while also making sure we have a steady supply in the weeks and months to come."
In the Houston area, health officials say the threat of monkeypox remains rare, but this news comes on the heels of Fort Bend County announcing its first probable cases. Local authorities remain vigilant, regardless, as does the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"At CDC, we continue to work closely with the community, public health partners, and clinicians to increase awareness about the current monkeypox outbreak," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky added in the HHS press release. "We have expanded the nation’s monkeypox testing capacity and now have four commercial laboratories whose combined capabilities have increased testing capacity from 6,000 specimens a week to 70,000."
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"The ability to increase testing capacity and improve access will provide the nation a better understanding of the outbreak and help us fight it," Dr. Walensky continued.
As of Friday, the Centers for Disease Control reports a total of 43 cases in Texas, with three of them reported in late June in Harris County, and at least two 'probable' cases in Fort Bend County this week.
"The general public should not be alarmed about this outbreak at the present time," Baylor infectious disease professor Dr. Robert Atmar said. "Almost all the cases that have been described have been in networks of primarily men who have sex with men, and has occurred through close contact."
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Dr. Atmar says it's unlikely to spread widely outside those networks of people being infected now - but also says transmission can occur amongst family members or people who live with an infected person.
"The good news is that most people recover without any specific treatments. For those people who are sick enough to need to be hospitalized, there are some experimental treatments that we're able to get access to through the CDC. If someone should require that sort of treatment, we think we will be able to get it for them," says Atmar.
However, LGBTQ+ advocates see the newest information on how the infection spreads as problematic for their community. In fact, Mike Webb of the Equality Foundation. Webb spoke to FOX 26's Isiah Carey Thursday and says monkeypox is a legitimate public health issue, but it's also relevant to all people.
"We're seeing a repeat of history of sorts when the LGBTQ+ community was blamed for the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other public health issues," Webb said.